Just saw someone shilling this on one of the TV news shows

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

She was pushing a dog house and goes: See it has Feet so that the house is not on the cold ground! Of course the talking head with her agrees that it is a good idea.

WHAT IDIOTS! THE GROUND IS AN INSULATOR!! Plus nobody in their right mind puts the floor directly on the ground, you put a couple two by fours under it for support and they are what rests on the ground and if you are worried about cold transferance to the floor of the dog house then put a strip of rubber off of a scrap tire between the joist and the ground for insulation. DON'T STICK THE HOUSE UP IN THE AIR for air to get under the house and draw heat away from the animal!

IDIOTS! Cut the damn feet off or stick a skirt around the building to block that airflow! (well in winter at least).

[dreemes]

I'm suprised they wasn't trying to push central air and heat for it as well.

[JamesB]

ummm... interesting.

I built a "wacky shack" for the dogs and its about 3" off the ground. we have nice cushy dog beds in there with a fleece blanket.

when the temps get below 40 degrees I put them in the garage with their beds and blanket.

question is, is this a good thing to do? should I close off the bottom and block the air flow from under the dog house during the winter?

one reason I have it off the ground is so water does not get in there.

James

[Gordon]

Which bits of the road ice up first ? The bridges/ overpasses - because the airflow underneath cools them down much faster than the road surface that sits on the ground.

Same principle.

[huxley]

so i guess ..... in the summer off the ground is good... in the winter off the ground bad? me caveman me needs help.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Which bits of the road ice up first ? The bridges/ overpasses - because the airflow underneath cools them down much faster than the road surface that sits on the ground.

Same principle.

Also because the ground holds heat longer than the air. It can be below freezing (temps within reason of course) quite a while before the ground is cold enough to allow a good freeze.

[babybluetx23]

heheh I work at Cityplace and we have an 8 sub level parking garage. When it is below 30 outside in the garage you dont need a jacket! its REALLY comfortable in the parking garage! hehehe until you get to the main level of the parking garage then ya FREEZE again!

[johnastovall]

Actually, the ground is a heat sink which is why one uses a closed cell pad under the torso to keep from losing heat even in moderate temperatures from conductive heat loss.

[Mike G]

depends on the body temps vs ground temps .. you can have moderate air temps and still have ground temps high enough to not worry.

Conduction is defined as the transfer of heat from a warmer object to a cooler object when the two objects are in direct contact with each other. Backpackers experience conductive heat loss anytime the body is in direct contact with cold ground.

We were talking about bridges anyway and they have no issues with body temp last I checked.

[kenw]

since in most places the ground is 60-65f, and most living bodies (human) are around 98f, conductive thermal xfer to the ground IS an issue.

The ground may be warmer than the air, but good thermal coupling with 65f ground isn't good for most mammals. You still need insulation; ie, air space, hence feet on dog houses. The missing part is a barrier to prevent cold air intrusion under the house, not necessariy coupling it to the ground.

[jdlaing]

Dallas: Cold. Set it on the ground. Dry climate. Set it on the ground.

Houston: Warm. Set it on the ground. Humid climate. Set it on the ground. Snakes. Set it on the ground.

In both cases..........run on down to Home Depot, Lowes, etcetera and buy enough of those flat concrete pads about 3-4" thick to completely build a floor under the doghouse. Place them on top of a piece of plastic sheeting as a vapor barrier. Voila.


PS: If it is a high dollar dog like an English Bulldog or a Shar-Pei and a high maintenance pet......it don't belong outside anyway. Let it inside and have it's way with the carpets and furniture.